Tag Archives: bing crosby

It’s almost Christmas … so who has time to read?!!? I’m giving you a very simple post today. Here are the Top 5 memorable songs from My Christmases Past. They’re in no particular order and there are probably way more than five. Whatever. Please enjoy them as you bake pies/wrap a bicycle/travel to Grandma’s/shop for a Magic Bullet/pull your hair out today. And feel free to skip the write-ups and just listen to the songs. Sometimes I bore me, too.

(2) Little Toy Trains …. Go ahead. Make fun. It’s from the Donny & Marie Christmas Special in (I’m going to estimate) 1979 because we owned a VCR to tape it. In it, he sings to his first child. And I just loved it. (I always promised I’d be honest here, didn’t I?)

(3) Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth … I’m one of the few people in my circles who actually remembers seeing this original airing on the Bing Crosby Christmas Special in 1977. I have my mom to thank for that. She’s always been a huge fan of all things Bing and thus I was fortunate enough to see the last annual special (variety show-style) when it aired in the late 70s. David Bowie joined the ranks of Michael Landon, Roy Clark, Carol Burnett, Connie Francis, Twiggy and several others I likely wouldn’t have known existed otherwise back then.

(4) Snow Miser/Heat Miser – From The Year Without a Santa Claus created by Rankin & Bass in 1974. This annual special was always one of my favorites, so much so that I tried in vain to get my hands on one of those little dancing Snow Misers back in the 90s when the internet became everyone’s best friend. I was lucky enough to hear back from one of their sons but learned that almost none of these little characters were actually stored and preserved. Boo!

(5) Hang Up Your Stocking – From Christmas with the Chipmunks (1963). No, I’m not actually THAT old (even though every song I included prior to this one would suggest it). My grandmother owned the album and I had lots of cousins older than me so I think I was born knowing every word to every song on it. This song was always one of my favorites. And it locked itself in as number one when my daughter learned it as a toddler and consistently butchered the title lyrics with “Hang Up Your Stop It” yelled with a big smile every time she sang it. We still sing it “wrong” around the house every time it’s on.

It’s Christmas morning and I’m thankful to have much more to do today than sit at my stupid computer. I just wanted to give you all my best and leave you with two of my favorite Christmas videos. (Had I chosen to post three favorites, you’d also be watching Schweddy Balls right now.)

Here’s the original. My mom got me hooked on Bing Crosby when I was still just a baby. David Bowie, I fell in love with on my own.

And here’s the remake. These guys mimicked every little detail, down to the very end, where they stray … just a little. Enjoy.

My girl made this colorful card this afternoon. Then, she attached the candy canes. Now, I’m getting ready to go hang it right above the trash cans on the telephone pole in front of our house. It’s been a tradition in the ODNT household since my oldest learned to operate a crayon. And there’s always been candy involved. What is a present really without candy?

And we always get a booming ‘HONK’ from the truck’s driver, which is especially meaningful when our house falls later on their route so my kids can actually hear their appreciation. (Plus we’ve ticked off our neighbors in years past when our ‘thank you’ blast comes at 6am.)

Oh, and if trash man tidings don’t get you in the holiday spirit, maybe this will. I accidentally found this clip on youtube today. I love it. Mostly because it supports today’s theme, combining yet another two things that are as unlikely as yesterday’s bacon and chocolate. Plus I still love this guy … even when he’s doing his Bing Crosby impression. Enjoy!